Thimphu weather in January

In January, Thimphu sees average daytime highs of 7°C and overnight lows near -3°C, with 66 mm of precipitation across 17.2 wet days and about 10.5 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 7°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 18 min at the start of January to 10 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Thimphu's 1st-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Thimphu's year-round climate.

Daytime high
12th warmest
Overnight low
-3°
1st coldest
Precipitation
66 mm
17.2 wet days
Daylight
10 h 24 min
6:57 AM – 5:24 PM
Cloud cover
46%
1st clearest
Wind
4 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
3.35 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.8
out of 10

Thimphu is capital of Bhutan.

Air quality
Moderate
PM10 42 µg/m³ · 2015
Density
3,655/km²
people per km²
Founded
1955

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 7°C through the month.

A typical January day in Thimphu reaches about 7°C in the afternoon and slips back to -3°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 3°C and 11°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°C cooler than December and about 2°C cooler than February.

-10°-5°10°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
17-3
27-3
37-3
47-3
57-3
67-3
77-3
87-3
97-3
107-3
117-3
127-3
137-3
147-3
157-3
167-3
177-3
187-3
197-3
207-3
217-3
227-3
237-3
247-3
257-3
267-3
277-3
287-3
297-3
307-3
317-2

How January really feels in Thimphu

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
31
wind chill below the day's low

The story in January is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Thimphu weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -3°6617.216.410.50.8
Feb / -2°942116.2111.1
Mar11° / 1522710.511.81.8
Apr15° / 16026.1112.62.8
May17° / 23628.8013.33.3
Jun19° / 12°37829.2013.73.2
Jul19° / 13°48430.2013.63.1
Aug19° / 13°35028.80133.3
Sep18° / 11°25526.2012.23.5
Oct16° / 13922.80.111.33.5
Nov12° / 7218.22.410.62.7
Dec / -2°59179.810.31.6

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% of the time in January, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 36% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 27%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17723
27723
37723
47723
57723
67723
77723
87624
97624
107525
117525
127426
137426
147327
157228
167228
177129
187129
197129
207129
217129
227129
237030
246931
256931
266931
276931
286931
296733
306733
316733

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Thimphu gets around 66 mm of rain and snow over 17.2 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 56% and peaks near 67% on the wettest days, and about 16 days bring snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14643
24644
34645
44746
54746
64847
74848
84949
95050
105151
115252
125353
135453
145554
155554
165655
175755
185755
195856
205956
216056
226156
236157
246257
256358
266458
276558
286558
296659
306759
316759

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of January feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, January lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in January

Winds average 4 km/h in January, the windiest month of the year.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 4 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 18 min at the start of January to 10 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 24 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:56 AM to 6:54 AM, and sunset from 5:13 PM to 5:36 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.36:565:13
210.36:565:14
310.36:565:15
410.36:575:15
510.36:575:16
610.36:575:17
710.36:575:17
810.36:575:18
910.46:575:19
1010.46:575:19
1110.46:585:20
1210.46:585:21
1310.46:585:22
1410.46:585:22
1510.46:585:23
1610.46:575:24
1710.56:575:25
1810.56:575:25
1910.56:575:26
2010.56:575:27
2110.56:575:28
2210.56:575:29
2310.56:565:29
2410.66:565:30
2510.66:565:31
2610.66:565:32
2710.66:555:33
2810.66:555:33
2910.76:555:34
3010.76:545:35
3110.76:545:36

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 3.35 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3 kWh/m² to a high of 5.43 kWh/m² in April across the year — January's 3.35 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.2Moderate
23.2Moderate
33.3Moderate
43.3Moderate
53.3Moderate
63.3Moderate
73.3Moderate
83.3Moderate
93.3Moderate
103.3Moderate
113.3Moderate
123.3Moderate
133.3Moderate
143.3Moderate
153.3Moderate
163.3Moderate
173.3Moderate
183.3Moderate
193.4Moderate
203.4Moderate
213.4Moderate
223.4Moderate
233.4Moderate
243.4Moderate
253.4Moderate
263.5Moderate
273.5Moderate
283.5Moderate
293.5Moderate
303.6Moderate
313.6Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Thimphu

In seasonPeak

None of Thimphu's seasonal hazards are active in January. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Thimphu's rainy season runs May–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is January a good time to visit Thimphu?

Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

0.8
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Thimphu.

What to pack for Thimphu in January

From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In January, Thimphu sees daytime highs around 7°C and nights near -3°C. Pack a warm layer and rain gear. Worth having: a heavy coat. About 17 days see rain.

a warm layerrain geara heavy coat

UV index in Thimphu in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Thimphu peaks around July 12 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 5 (high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highExtremeVery highHighJul 12UV 15Dec 21UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan6High
Feb8Very high
Mar11Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May14Extreme
Jun15Extreme
Jul15Extreme
Aug14Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct10Very high
Nov7High
Dec5High

Air quality in Thimphu in January

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where January falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Thimphu is worst in February — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.4× the cleanest month (September, 4 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodFeb 2116 µg/m³Sep 164 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb16Moderate
Mar15Moderate
Apr15Moderate
May10Good
Jun6Good
Jul4Good
Aug4Good
Sep4Good
Oct4Good
Nov5Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Thimphu?

Thimphu sits at 27.5°N, 89.6°E, 2,320 m above sea level, in Bhutan. The nearest listed city is Paro, 23 km away.

ParoPunakhaTsirangPhuentsholingTrongsaJakarMongar

Topography around Thimphu

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Thimphu.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Thimphu has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,129 m around an average of 2,631 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,897 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 7,127 m.

The land around Thimphu is covered by trees (55%) and grassland (28%) within 3 km, trees (85%) within 16 km, and trees (65%) and grassland (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
1,129 m
16 km
2,897 m
80 km
7,127 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icemoss and lichen
January weather nearby: Paro 23 km · Punakha 27 km · Tsirang 69 km · Phuentsholing 73 km · Trongsa 85 km · Jakar 110 km · Darjeeling 144 km · Mongar 159 km

Bhutan travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / D / F / G / M
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 23% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$4,493
2025
Happiness
5.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2018
Safe drinking water
66%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2.5
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
16.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 473
Religion
Lamaistic Buddhist 75%Indian- and Nepali-influenced Hinduism 22%other 3%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Thimphu (27.4661°, 89.6419°, elevation 2,320 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).